"To Daddy" is a country

Country music

Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...

 song, written by Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton

Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...

. It was also performed by Emmylou Harris

Emmylou Harris

Emmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists including...

 in the 1970s, and included on her album Quarter Moon in a Ten Cent Town.

To Daddy is said to describe the pain Parton's mother experienced as she ignored her husband's occasional affairs and his lack of affection. It relates to how her mother, in having the family's best interest at heart and to be the best possible mother she could to her children, that she stood by her husband through difficult times. (The song, however, has a different ending; the mother leaves the family, leaving a note for her husband stating that she was searching for the love and affection that had been missing from her marriage.)

In 1979, shortly after Emmylou Harris covered the song, the Teenager described the song as "being like a O. Henry

O. Henry

O. Henry was the pen name of the American writer William Sydney Porter . O. Henry's short stories are well known for their wit, wordplay, warm characterization and clever twist endings.-Early life:...

 short story".

Harris's rendition of the song appears on her album Quarter Moon in a Ten Cent Town. Released as a single in 1977, it peaked at #3 on the Billboard

Billboard (magazine)

Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...

country singles charts. It was also a Number One single on the RPM

RPM (magazine)

RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...

Country Tracks charts in Canada.

Parton's own rendition of the song, recorded in 1976, appears on the compilation "The Essential Dolly Parton One", released in 1995.

Chart positions

Chart (1977–1978)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles	3
U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100	2
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	1